Decoding and printing apparatus



an axially elongated driving United States Patent 2,885,475 DECODING AND PRINTING APPARATUS Michele Canepa, South Nor-walk, Conn., assignor to Olivetti Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 9, 55, Serial No. 527,340 9 Claims. (Cl. 178-34) This invention relates to apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information, and more particularly to apparatus adapted for use in conjunction with a binary code counter or calculator to convert the results thereof to decimal notation and to print the latter on a suitable recording medium.

In conventional calculating machines, numerical information in decimal form is fed into the machine wherein it is translated into the corresponding binary form for purposes of computation. After the mathematical operations have been performed on such information, the arithmetic result is consequently obtained in printing Wheel having decimal characters displaced circumferentially thereon. In my copending case, Serial No. 514,631, filed on June 10, 1955, an improved decoding-printing apparatus is disclosed employing a printing wheel which also performs the decoding.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information.

Another object is to provide such a decoding and printing apparatus which is adapted for assembly with a plurality of such devices in a compact group for synchronized operation in the simultaneous decoding of a plurality of binary coded decimal groups.

A further object is to provide such a decoding and printing apparatus in which an endless printing belt is longitudinally displaced about its supporting gears by an actuating mechanism in accordance with applied binary information, whereby the decoding action is carried out by the printing belt.

An additional object is to provide such a decoding and printing apparatus having a plurality of interchangeable endless belts each bearing a different series of decoding symbols thereon.

The present invention affords great saving in space by providing an arrangement which comprises generally a plurality of closely spaced parallel endless belts, each bearing a series of demical characters displaced along the outer surface thereof, said belts being carried by respective coaxial pairs of gears engageable with the gear tooth undersurfaces of the respective belts.

Extending between the gears of each of said pairs is gear which is disposed along its length adjacent corresponding intermediate portions of the respective belts. The said driving gear is rotated in successive amounts representative of binary code quantities by a stepping clutch mechanism of the type described in my above-mentioned copending application. Disposed above each of said belts opposite said driving gear is an electromagnetic-actuatable pressure roller which when actuated pressessaid intermediate portion ICE of its related belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear to cause the latter to move said belt around its supporting gears and present a particular of said decimal characters on the belt at a selected reference point adjacent one of the latter said gears to represent the decoded binary code group in decimal form. Such reference point is relatively the same for each belt assembly and a platen is provided thereat which extends across the entire assembly bearing an inking ribbon and a paper between the ribbon and the platen. Each gear adjacent the reference point is mounted on one end of a respective pivot arm so as to be selectively actuatable by a related electromagnet to move downward against the platen and imprint the said particular belt character on the paper or recording medium.

Each belt is provided with two series of sixteen evenly spaced characters each, i.e., a total of thirty-two characters, and the supporting gear not adjacent the reference point has a circumference equal to one-half the entire length of the: belt or, in other words, equal to the length of one of said series. As a consequence, resetting is accomplished simply and quickly by ensuring that the latter gear makes one complete rotation for each binary code group so as to present the beginning char acter of the next series before decoding the next binary code group. This is effected at a resetting time by an arm mounted coaxially adjacent each said latter gear which is then rotated one complete revolution, i.e., 360, and somewhere during said revolution engages a lug extending from the side of such gear and moves the same along with it through the remainder of its travel.

The use of this driving gear, belt and pressure roller mechanism provides an axially compact group as compared with the indexing means of my aforementioned application Serial No. 514,631, which consists of the separate coaxial main gear-idler gear arrangement required for each unit with a consequent greater width to a group of such units.

With the present invention it is possible to employ any one of a number of interchangeable belts bearing different types of characters or die members, e.g., decimal numbers, letters, etc., so that the mechanism can be set up for decoding binary coded decimal information into any particular desired form in a relatively simple manner and at a minimum of expense by merely replacing one of said belts with another as desired.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectionalized side elevation view of a single decoding and printing unit;

Fig. 2 is a reduced plan view of a and printing units as assembled for tion;

Fig. 3 is a magnified view of the driving gear as meshed with the adjacent portion of the endless belt;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the endless belt showing the die members thereon;

Fig. 5 is a view of the underside of a portion of the endless belt showing the gear-tooth configuration of the same.

The general arrangement of components of this invention is shown in Fig. 1. An endless belt 10 having a plurality of equi-spaced die members or characters 11 onits outer surface 12 and a gear-tooth configuration or rack formation 13 along its under surface 14 is supported by a pair of axially spaced idler gears 15 and 16 which mesh with the gear-tooth configuration of the belt and permit the latter to be longitudinally displaced thereabout (see also Figs. 3 and 5).

Located between said idler gears is a driving gear 17 which is disposed adjacent but out of contact with the under surface. of an intermediate portion. 18 ofthe belt.

plurality of decoding synchronized opera- The driving gear is connected through gear 19 and drive shaft 20 to a stepping clutch mechanism 21 of the general type disclosed in association with the commutator control circuit of myaforementioned copending application. Such a mechanism imparts four consecutive angular displacements of varying magnitude to the driving gear which are representative of the elements of the binary code, that is to say one fraction of a revolution to represent a binary 1, then twice that amount to represent a binary 2, and so on until the driving gear has been rotated in successive steps to represent the entire l2-48 binary code group. The driving gear is directly connected to the stepping clutch so that it is being continually rotated in such successive angular displacements.

Disposed above the belt and directly opposite to the driving gear is a pressure roller 22 which is rotatably mounted on one arm 23 of a lever 24. The lever is adapted for movement about a central pivot 25 and has an armature portion 26 on its other arm 27 associated with an electromagnet 28. In its normal position the pressure roller is held out of contact with the endless belt by a coil spring 29 which biases the associated lever arm 23 in a counterclockwise, or upward, direction against stop 30 as viewed in Fig. 1. This likewise holds the armature portion 26 downward and separated from the electromagnet 28 by a slight gap 31.

The electromagnet 28 is connected to the commutator control circuit and is energized in response to the binary components of the particular number present in the output of the calculating machine. When the clectromagnet is so actuated, the armature portion 26 is pulled upwardly against the electromagnet which causes lever arm 23 to be moved in a clockwise direction against the spring bias,

I and consequently the pressure roller moves downwardly against the belt pushing the latter into operative meshing engagement with the driving gear as shown in Fig. 3. While the electromagnet remains so energized, the driving gear moves the belt along to the right in a series of successive longitudinal displacements in response to the stepping clutch as described.

The aforesaid die members 11 are disposed along the endless belt 10 at distances from one another equivalent to a binary 1, i.e., the distance the belt is moved by the driving gear to represent a binary --l-. The belt as shown in Fig. 1 possesses two series of 16 die members or 32 in all, representative of twice the number of permutations of the four binary digits. Ten characters of each series can be used to represent the ten decimal digits one through zero and the remainder can be operating signs such as I, or the like (see Fig. 4).

A point opposite idler gear 16 is taken as a reference point A and adjacent such point is disposed a printing roller or platen 32 over which is fed a printing medium 33, such as paper from a supply roll 34, and any convenient inking means, for example, a typewriter ribbon 35 or the like from another supply roll 36.

Idler gear 16 is rotatably disposed on one arm 37 of a two arm lever 38 which is mounted at an intermediate point on pivot 39. The other arm 40 of the lever has an armature portion 41 associated with an electromagnet 42. A coil spring 43 attached to the latter arm of said lever biases the lever assembly counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 and up against stop 44 to hold the armature portion 41 away from the electromagnet 42, and the idler gear 16 away from the platen.

Upon energization of the latter electromagnet, the idler gear 16 is moved downwardly to bring the particular die member positioned at the reference point A against the inking means 35 and printing medium 33 so as to impress the character of said die member thereon.

The other idler gear 15 is rotatably disposed on a fixed axis 45 and has a circumference equal to one-half the length of the endless belt. Rotatably mounted on the same axis and adjacent to the latter said gear is a resetting arm 46 which is engageable with a lug 47 projecting outwardly from said gear. The resetting arm is actuatable intermittently to make one complete revolution and during such a revolution to engage the lug and thereby rotate the idler gear along with it to complete the revolution. At the end of such revolution the first die member of the next sixteen character series is then presented at the reference point A.

As shown in Fig. 2, the present mechanism readily adapts itself to a compact assembly of a plurality of such individual units so that multi-digit numerical quantities can be decoded and recorded simultaneously. To further enhance the simplicity of construction and compactness of design, a single elongated driving gear 17 can be used as shown in Fig. 2 which is engageable with the corresponding intermediate portions of the individual belts at different points along its axial dimension. In such a plural assembly, of course, it would be preferable to mount the electromagnets and associated levers for the respective idler gears 16 conveniently away from the space between the pairs of supporting idler gears to enable the assembly to be more compactly disposed than would be possible with a plurality of units of the type arranged as shown in Fig. l.

The endless belt 10 can be constructed of any suitable material, such as rubber, flexible metal or the like but an especially good material is nylon or a plastic having similar properties of such flexibility and durability. It is possible to have a number of such belts which are interchangeable with one another, each having a different set of characters or die members, so that as it is desired to convert the binary information into a different decoded representation, the apparatus can be quickly and easily transformed by merely replacing the belt with the particular one desired. To make such interchangeability possible, it is necessary only to have a disconnectable link means in the belt so that it can be disconnected to remove the belt from the mechanism when making such replacement.

To illustrate the operation of the mechanism in the decoding of a binary code group, let it be assumed that a binary number 0110 stands in the calculator output for a single digit and that by means of the present invention such binary number is to be converted into its equivalent decimal digit 6.

At the start of this particular operation the decimal character -0- is at reference point A and the various elements of the mechanism are positioned as shown in Fig. 1.

When the driving gear is rotated by the stepping clutch mechanism an angular amount for binary l-- the pressure roller remains inactive because its related electromagnet 28 receives no energizing signal from the commutator control circuit, but energizing signals are transmitted from the latter to actuate the electromagnet for the next two periods during which the driving gear is rotated for binary -2 and binary 4. Consequently, pressure roller 22 depresses the belt 10 into operative engagement with such gear and the belt is displaced longitudinally two plus four, or six characters, i.e., from 0 at the reference point to -6-. During the subsequent rotation of the driving gear an amount equivalent to binary 8, the belt system remains idle as for binary -1.

At this point the other electromagnet 42 receives an energizing pulse from the commutator control circuit and the die member at the reference point bearing -6- is depressed against the inking means and printing medium on the platen to record the decoded quantity.

At this point the resetting arm 46 is rotated one complete revolution from the position shown in Fig. 1. Since the belt had been rotated six die member positions during the above-described decoding operation, the lug 47 on the idler gear 15 is located approximately clockwise from the position shown in Fig. l, but in making its one revolution, the said resetting arm encounters the lug and ,jiushes it through the rest of the turn to bring the lug next series at the reference point. The apparatus is now 1 ready for the nextdecoding operation. The printing medium can be synchronized with the rest of the mechanism so as to present successive portions of such medium tothe reference point for printing the successive quantities as they are decoded.

While one embo'diment of-this invention has been described, it is apparent that certain changes can be made {without departing from the scope and spirit of such invention.

.1 claim:

\ 1. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a geartooth configuration along its length; a pair of rotatably mounted axially spaced gear members supporting said belt, .the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration; a driving gear disposed between said -gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of binary code quantitiesfrom successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with saiddriving ,gear in accordance with binary coded information to causesaid driving gear to move said belt around said gear members .in response to said stepping means during the timesaid belt engages said driving gear and therebypresenta particular of said die members at a selected point along the path of movement of said belt; and printing "means for selectively effecting the impressing of said particular of said die members on a printing medium.

2. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a gear- -tooth configuration along its length; a pair of rotatably mounted axially spaced gear members supporting said bolt, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of .said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of binary code quantities from successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt intooperative meshing engagement with said driving .gear in accordance with binary coded information to cause said belt to move a distance corresponding to the number of units of rotation of said driving gear during such periods of time as said belt is pressed into engagement therewith so as to present a particular of said die members at a selected point along the path of movement of said belt; and printing means for selectively effecting the impressing of said particular of said die members on aprinting medium.

'3. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a gear-tooth configuration along its length; a pair of rotatably mounted axially spaced gear members supporting said belt, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of bin- .ary code quantities from successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information to cause saiddrivinggear to move said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the number of units of rotation of said driving gear in response to said stepping means while said belt engages said driving gear and thereby present a particular of said die members at a selected point along the path of movement of said belt; printing means for selectively effecting the impressing of said particular of said die members on a printing medium; and resetting means for selectively moving said belt about said gear members to present a predetermined one of said die members at said selected point.

4. An apparatus for decoding binary coded decimal information and printingequivalent decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a gear-tooth configuration along its length; a pair of rotatably mounted axially spaced gear members supporting said belt, the teeth of saidgear members being meshable with said configuration;

a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means forrotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information to cause said driving gear to move said'b'elt around said gear members a distance determined by the number of units of rotation of said driving: gear in response tosaid stepping means during the time said belt engages said driving gear and thereby present a particular of said die members at a selected point along the path of movement of said belt, said par- 'ticular of said die members being the decimal digit equivalent of one of said binary code groups; printing means members at said selected point after the said belt has been movedin response to one'binary code group and beforethe same is moved in response to the next binary coded information.

5. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of-spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a geartooth configuration along its length; a first and second rotatably mounted gear member being axially spaced relative to one another and supporting said belt, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration, said first gear member having a stationary axis of rotation and said second gear member having a movable axis of rotation; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information to cause said driving gear to move said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the decimal number and coded in said binary information in response to said stepping means during the time said belt engages :said driving gear and thereby present a particular of said die members at-a selected point adjacent said second gear member; and printing means for selectively moving the axis of said second gear to impress the die member at said selected point against a printing medium.

6. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of spaced die members disposed along its upper tooth configuration along its length; a first and a second rotatably mounted gear member being axially spaced relative to one another and supporting said belt, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration, said first gear member having a stationary axis of rotation and said second gear member having a movable axis of rotation; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear in successive amounts representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information corresponding to a decimal number to cause said drving gear to move said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the decimal number in response to said stepping means during the time said belt engages said driving gear and thereby present a particular of said die members at a selected point adjacent said second gear member; printing means for selectively moving the axis of said second gear to impress the die member at said selected point against a printing medium; and resetting means for presenting a predetermined one of said die members at said selected point after said belt has been moved in response to one binary group and before said belt is moved in response to the next binary coded information.

7. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt having thirty-two evenly spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and the undersurface of said belt having a gear-tooth configuration along its length; a first and a rotatably mounted second gear member supporting said belt and being axially spaced relative to one another, the teeth of said gear member being meshable with said configuration, said first gear member having a stationary axis of rotation and circumference equal to half the length of said belt, said second gear member having a movable axis of rotation; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear by successive angular displacements representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing each intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information corresponding to a decimal number to cause said driving gear to move said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the decimal number and in response to said stepping means during the time said belt engages said driving gear and thereby present a particular of said die members at a selected point adjacent said second gear member; printing means for selectively moving the axis of said second gear to impress the die member at said selected point against a printing medium; and resetting means for rotating said first gear through an additional angular displacement to eifect one complete revolution of the latter said gear relative to its position at the time of first movement of said belt to represent the preceding binary group.

8. An apparatus for decoding and printing binary coded decimal information comprising an endless belt bearing thirty-two evenly spaced die members disposed along its upper surface constituting two series of sixteen characters each, the first die member in each series constituting an index point on said belt, and the under surface of said belt having a gear-tooth configuration along its length; a first and a second rotatably mounted gear member supporting said belt and being axially spaced relative to one another, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration, said first gear member having a stationary axis of rotation and circumference equal to half the length of said belt, said second gear member having a movable axis of rotation; a driving gear disposed between said gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear by successive angular displacements representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups: pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of said belt into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information corresponding to a decimal number to cause said driving gear to move said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the decimal number in response to said stepping means during the time said belt engages said driving gear and thereby move said belt from a starting position with one of its said index points at a selected point adjacent said second gear to present a succeeding die member in such series at said selected point to represent one such binary group; printing means for selectively moving the axis of said second gear to impress said die member on-a printing medium; and resetting means for rotating said first gear through an additional angular displacement to present the other said index point at said selected point.

9. An apparatus for the simultaneous decoding and printing of a plurality of groups of binary coded decimal information consisting of a plurality of decoding and prining mechanisms, one for each of said groups, each of said mechanisms comprising an endless belt bearing a plurality of evenly spaced die members disposed along its upper surface and constituting two series of characters each, the first die member in each series constituting an index point on said belt, and the undersurface of each said belt having a gear-tooth configuration along its length; a plurality of first rotatably mounted gear members spaced along a common axis; a corresponding plurality of second rotatably mounted gear members spaced along a common axis, one of said first gear members and one of said second gear members supporting each said belt, the teeth of said gear members being meshable with said configuration, each said first gear member having a stationary axis of rotation and circumference equal to half the length of said belt, each said second gear member having a movable axis of rotation; an elongated driving gear disposed between the axes of said first and second gear members and adjacent an intermediate portion of each said belt; stepping means for rotating said driving gear by successive angular displacements representative of binary code quantities of successive binary code groups; pressure means for selectively pressing said intermediate portion of each said belt separately into operative meshing engagement with said driving gear in accordance with binary coded information corresponding to a special decimal number for each said belt to cause said elongated driving gear to move each said belt around said gear members a distance corresponding to the decimal number for each said belt, respectively in response to said stepping means during the time each said belt engages said elongated driving gear and thereby move each said belt from a starting position with one of its said index points at a selected point adjacent its associated second gear to present a succeeding die member in such series at said selected point to represent one such binary group; printing means for selectively moving the axes of said second gears to impress said die member on a printing medium; and resetting means for simultaneously rotating said first gears through an additional angular displacement to present the other said index point at said selected point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,106 Strike Jan. 27, 1942 2, 3,942 Durkee Nov. 10, 1953 2,668,870 Ridler Feb. 9, 1954 2,72 ,832 Luning Oct. 18, 1955 36, 1'l Marlowe Feb. 21, 1956 

